Protective efficacy of maternal antibodies induced by Salmonella toxoid (vaccine).

An attempt was made to evaluate the protective efficacy of maternal antibodies in chicks against salmonellosis. Layer chicks ageing 21 days were individually vaccinated with 100 microg of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden (BM 1643) toxoid adjuvanted with vitamin E subcutaneously. After 90 days of the primary vaccination the birds were given booster dose of the vaccine. The saline extract of the yolk of eggs laid by the vaccinated birds yielded agglutination and ELISA titres ranging from 43.2 +/- 5.33 to 75.2 +/- 6.26 and 4.987 x 10(3) +/- 0.54 to 5.89x103 +/- 0.56, respectively. Sera of chicks hatched from eggs laid by the vaccinated layers were also subjected to agglutination and ELISA. Agglutination and ELISA titres on the 5th day--post hatching (dph) were 21.6 +/- 1.75 and 4.025 x 10(2) +/- 0.59, while on the 10th dph titers were 13.6 +/- 1.65 and 1.21 x 10(2) +/- 0.60, respectively. It was also observed that only one out of 6 chicks died when challenged with 2 x 10(9) CFU of S. serovar Gallirarum at the age of 7 days showing 83.33% protection. Thus it can be concluded that passive immunity confided by Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden (BM 1643) toxoid can protect chicks against salmonellosis during their early days of life.